After The Fall: A series of SPR Cases
by Writer-Steph-94
Summary: Set after Gene's funeral and the revelation of Naru's true identity this is a series of cases told from the perspective of Mai, Naru and the new addition Eos. Eos is an old friend of Naru's whose horrific past is intrinsically linked with the new batch of cases the SPR gang must face. Rated M for graphic violence, language and adult themes. May be scenes of a sexual nature.
1. Chapter 1

Case one: Beauty and the Beast

Mai's POV

I was bringing Naru his 6th cup of tea that morning when she walked in. Tall, slim with pale gold hair tied in a loose plait over her left shoulder, pale porcelain skin and eyes the colour of rain drenched violets: she was beautiful. But what drew my eye was her clothing; she wore a black wool coat over a high collared silk bustier shirt that stopped just below her navel, a red and black tartan skirt with chains hanging from the one side and a pattern on of white crosses along the hem and thigh high black boots. Never had anyone looked so out of place in Naru's almost obsessively tidy office before.

"Um…can I help you?" I asked tentatively. _She must be in the wrong place_, I thought to myself. She pushed a stray strand of hair behind her right ear revealing a row of piercings and the cross dangling from the lowest one and smiled.

"Yes, I'm looking for someone going by the name of Kazuya Shibuya. Is he here by any chance?" The girl asked in perfect accented Japanese.

"Em…," I wasn't sure how to answer her, she wasn't the normal kind of client we received. Shaking my head I smiled, we were ghost hunters, we didn't _do_ normal clients.

"Never mind, I'll check myself." She said before sticking her fingers in her mouth and letting out an ear piercing whistle. Flinching I quickly stuffed my fingers in my ears, dropping the tea cup to the floor as I heard a door crash open behind me, undoubtedly my narcissistic ass of a boss come to see what the hell was going on.

As if on cue Naru came bursting out from behind me his midnight blue eyes angry until he caught sight of the blonde. He froze, his eyes widening in surprise and his mouth hanging open, the words he was going to say now lost.

She grinned.

"Ah good, you're here. Well then, let's get down to business shall we?" she stated before sauntering over to the nearest armchair and folding herself elegantly into it.

Naru's P.O.V

As she folded herself elegantly into a chair I couldn't stop my heart from racing, I hadn't seen Eos in years. Not since leaving England to search for Gene.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, folding my arms over my chest to show I had regained my composure. Displaying any weakness around her would only cause trouble.

"I would have thought that would have been glaringly obvious to someone with, how did you put it? Ah yes, higher cognitive processing to the rest of us mortals. I'm here because I have a case for you." She said in that infuriatingly smug way of hers as a smile curled at the corner of her perfectly shaped mouth.

"You travelled all the way to Japan just to get me…"

"Don't flatter yourself Noll, I was already here. My Client asked me to find someone to deal with a little ghost problem he's having and I thought to myself 'who do I know in Japan who fixes ghost problems?' And naturally you were the first person that came to mind." She quipped, sarcasm lacing her words. Her smile was more of a self-satisfied smirk now, knowing that she had gotten a rise from me.

Mai looked between the two of us, confusion lacing her wide cinnamon eyes as it creased her brow.

"Um, I don't think I caught your name miss…?" she asked tentatively, she was playing with the edge of her shirt. She only did that when she was nervous.

"Ridley, Eos Ridley. And you are?" She replied turning her violet orbs away from me and onto my unsuspecting assistant.

"Mai Taniyama. It's nice to meet you. So, how do you know Naru?"

Eos's beautiful tinkling laugh echoed around the room as she heard Mai's little nick-name for me which everyone seemed to have adopted. I kept reminding myself to get her to stop using it but then never did, I suppose in a way I liked that she felt comfortable enough to use a nickname for me.

"Oh bless you Noll, you escape one nick name back home only to pick up a new one here!" Eos cried her eyes bright with mischief and laughter. It was that impish joy and her sarcastic take-no-prisoners attitude that had first drawn me to her and she damn well knew it.

"Mai, tea." I snapped, not harshly just cold enough to get the message that I wanted her out of the room across. She humphed and stormed off in the direction of the kitchen cursing me under her breath as she went. I almost smiled at the way she always did that when I demanded tea but stopped myself short as I remembered who I was facing.

"So, Noll, Lin. It's been awhile. How are you two?" she asked eyeing me and my silent companion. I hadn't realized Lin had come out of his office till she mentioned it but I was glad he was there. I didn't trust myself alone with this woman, not anymore.

"I thought you came here with a case not to exchange pleasantries."

"You are correct of course, as usual. My client purchased a house a number of years ago which he turned into a hotel, however lately there have been a number of…incidents. He called me and asked if I would take a look at the place but…well you know my powers. This isn't my area of expertise. So I advised he found someone more suited to the task and then I remembered you were here and offered to enlist your…services."

Slipping into business mode I sat down in the armchair opposite her as Lin slid onto the sofa seat next to me and began to type up what she had said on his laptop.

"What kind of incidents?"

"Doors slamming of their own accord, usually when someone's walking through them. The noise of heavy footsteps been heard, a horrible smell keeps appearing in one of the upper floors and the maids keep getting attacked, dragged across the floor by their hair and brutally beaten. One of them almost died." She said her voice getting quiet toward the end. She looked down at the floor then up at me through her thick dark lashes ringed in smoky liner and I saw something I hadn't seen in her eyes in a very long time. Fear.

"Noll, I've never been to a place like that in my life and I've been to some truly awful places. The feeling of horror and pain and the level of malignancy I felt there…it's beyond description."

It was then that Mai re-appeared with a tray of tea, her usual bright cheerful smile plastered on her face. She handed out the tea and received a murmured thanks from Eos before sitting on the floor next to my chair, her jean clad legs pulled up to her chest.

"Tell him we'll need a room to set up base and three rooms to sleep in and I'll need to speak to the women who've been attacked so far," I said to her before standing and walking to my office door, "Mai, call everyone and tell them to be here at 8AM sharp tomorrow morning. And don't be late this time."

I could hear her fuming at my parting comment as she went to go and make the calls to the rest of the team and I stepped into my office and rounded my desk.

"Noll?" Eos's soft voice called from the doorway. I looked at her properly for the first time since she had arrived in my office. She was taller than the last time I had seen her and her figure and filled out into a slim yet womanly physique, her hair was longer and there was sadness in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Can I come in?"

I nodded my ascent earning a reproachful glare from Lin as she closed the door on him. I'd be hearing about this later for sure.

Taking a seat behind my desk I motioned for her to take the one opposite. She slid into and shrugged off her black coat revealing the minute silk shirt she wore underneath.

"I see your clothing choices are as impractical as ever." I said trying to ignore the way the silk clung to the curves of her body and the glitter of onyx at the base of her shirt where I knew her navel piercing resided.

She smirked.

"And I see you still dress as conservatively as a priest, I swear you were the one born with the brains and Gene was the one born with the fashion sense." She laughed before realising what she had said. I flinched away at the mention of my dead brother, my lost twin. Gene. I got up and turned away from her to look out of the window into the glacial street below. I heard her chair scrape and soft footfalls. She wrapped her arms around my waist and placed her chin on my shoulder, something I would allow no one else to do.

"I'm sorry Noll, I didn't think." She murmured against my neck. I could feel her breath against my hair, feel the curve of her body moulded to my back, could smell the scent of her skin that was uniquely her. I breathed in and closed my eyes remembering nights spent in the comfort of her scent of lemon, honey and something else I could never place that just put me at ease the way nothing else could. I relaxed into the feel of her arms around me and sighed.

"Damn it Eos," She was my one weakness. Turning around in her arms I cupped her face in my hands and lifted it up to face me, "why did you have to come here?" I said before I pulled her to me and kissed her hard. Her lips were as soft as rose petals, just as I remembered them. With her so close to me her scent filled my head, I felt drunk on it, it was drowning my senses and clouding my usually clear head. She responded passionately, deepening the kiss; I felt her teeth graze my lower lip and bit back a smile. Turning our bodies I pushed her up against the book shelves that lined the walls of my office, wanting to be closer to her body. I ran my tongue along her lip and they opened allowing me to deepen the kiss further. My hand ran down her waist to her hip, hitching her leg up she took the hint and wrapped it around my waist.

"Noll…" she whispered to me in English, her breathy exclamation like another link in the chains of my attachment to her that would inevitably drag me back under her spell for good. I groaned at how good she felt pressed up against me, all the feelings I thought I had buried when I left to find Gene, when I had abandoned the beautiful, infuriating, intelligent, impossible girl in my arms.

"Hey Naru I brought you your…holy crap!" I heard Mai say as she entered my office. Pulling away from Eos like a drowning man surfacing for air I turned and looked at my young assistant who stood paralysed in shock in the doorway.

"Em, I'll just come back later." She said hurriedly closing the door behind her as she fled. Groaning I let my head fall against Eos's shoulder and inhaled her calming yet intoxicating scent.

"I don't think we've been caught in a situation like this since we fifteen." Eos mused, a delicate smile on her face as she ran her fingers through my hair soothingly. She knew it calmed me, lord knows why, whenever she did it would lull me back to my normal state but only when she did it.

"Yes, my mother was quite surprised to find you in my room let alone us tangled up together in bed like that. It took her almost a week to get over the shock. I wish it had taken longer, I infinitely preferred her avoiding us to her giddiness at me finally, as she put it, acting like a 'normal teenage boy'." I replied dispassionately. Eos trailed her fingers down my neck and over my shoulders to push me away from her slightly so she could look me in the eye, her smile was adorable and I could feel a small imitation of it curling at the corners of my own mouth.

"I shall see you tomorrow Noll." She murmured leaning forward to place one last kiss on my lips before disentangling herself from me and sauntering out of my office. Growling in frustration and irritation at our interruption and her departure I did the only thing I could.

"Mai! Tea!"


	2. Chapter 2

Eos's POV

Leaning against my jet black Yamaha R6 the next morning, my slender body encased in tight black leather, a duffle bag slung across my back and my eyes obscured by a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses I smirked quietly to myself. I knew my presence was affecting Noll. I could tell from the quick jerky movements he was making and the air of agitation that surrounded him like a fog. His co-workers were milling around by a van and another two cars, sneaking curious glances at me, wondering who I was to have set their boss on edge. I felt something vibrate against my hip and You Me as Six's Nasty Habits start blaring out, fishing the black Sidekick of my leather pants pocket I smiled at the caller ID before hitting answer and putting it to my ear ignoring the look Noll was giving me.

"**Hey, how you doing gorgeous?" **I asked in English.

"**I swear to god you need to get your ass back to the UK before I murder your fucking students." **An irate voice snapped at her. I chuckled as I saw Noll freeze at my earlier comment to my assistant.

"**What have they done this time Toby?"**

"**What haven't they done?! I had one of them spend half of today's lecture waxing lyrical about how in his oh-so-brilliant opinion Herodotus 'portrayal of the Persian Wars was biased'. By the time I actually managed to get the little shit to shut up I barely had time to finish covering the material you had outlined. Then there was last week when they all decided since it was snowing it was acceptable to come in and pelt me with snowballs. I swear, you must have the patience of a fucking saint to deal with these kids."**

"**They're hardly kids Toby! And was Avery by any chance the kid that wouldn't shut up?" **I inquired of my irate assistant referencing the know-it-all student that always piped up in my lectures.

"**Yes. He seriously pisses me off. I'm half tempted to fail him simply for being an annoying little shit."** Toby grumped down the line to me. This caught my attention.

"**You had damn well better be kidding Toby or you're going to be in a serious amount of shit."** I snapped.

"**Of course I am idiot, what kind of person do you take me for? Now when are you getting that sexy ass of yours back here so I can go back to organising paperwork and sorting through the hell hole that is your office?"**

I laughed and ran a hand through my pale gold hair, letting the soft strands stream through my fingers as they caught the early morning rays.

"**Aw, do you miss me? Don't worry, I'm only here a little while longer and then me and my 'sexy ass' as you referred to it as will be back to annoying you as usual." **I replied. I watched as Noll turned to glare at me, his midnight blue eyes narrowing as he processed what I had said.

"**Fine. But if that kid pisses me off one more time…"** he let his threat hang in the air before bidding her farewell and hanging up. Chuckling to myself I slid my phone back into my pocket and looked over at Noll and the group of people behind him who looked even more confused than they had before. Removing my Ray bans I hung them on my biker jacket that was unzipped to reveal my cleavage and sauntered over to my old flame.

"Something wrong Noll?" I enquired, flicking back to Japanese with ease.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked. Only I could hear the barely contained irritation out of his voice.

"Why do you want to know? You're not _jealous_, are you Noll?" I teased knowing this would get a reaction out of him.

It worked. He growled at her and took a step closer to her.

"Calm down sweetie, it was just my assistant Toby. You really shouldn't work yourself up like this, it's not good for you." I quipped giving him a wink as his assistant sprinted up to the group in front of her, a bag slung over her shoulder and totally out of breath.

"Late again Mai!" a boy of around Noll's age with unruly black hair and glasses that flashed in the light called to her with a grin. Noll turned away from me at the boys comment to berate his already flustered assistant for her lateness. As he slipped into proper Noll-the-ice-man mode I took the liberty of examining his group; there was a tall red headed woman, a petit dark haired girl garbed in a beautiful midnight blue kimono, a tall blonde boy who looked to be around Noll's age and…

"Hōshō Takigawa?" I enquired walking up to the tall dark sandy brown haired man. He turned to face her and looked at her in confusion.

"Um, yeah. How do you know who I am?"

"I believe your band is opening for mine over the summer. I'm Eos Ridley; I'm in Blue Skies Lie." I said with a grin, the man's eyes widened in shock.

"Seriously? That's awesome. Just call me Monk, everyone does." Monk said ruffling his hair with one hand as he smiled at me.

"So, how do you know our favourite narcissistic slave driver then?" The dark haired teen enquired coming over to grin at me.

"Oh, you mean Noll? He and I go way back. We grew up together; I've practically known him my entire teenage life." I replied, ruffling the back of my hair.

"Does that mean you knew…?"

"Knew Gene? Yeah. He was my best friend. Me, Gene and Noll were infamous around the BSPR offices; Noll for his bad attitude and me and Gene for our bad behaviour." I reminisced with a chuckle. It earned a laugh from the people surrounding me. I basked in the feel of their amusement, as an Empath good happy atmospheres were like crack to me, I gravitated towards them without even thinking. But then I felt it, I could _feel_ the waves of strong dark emotions rolling off someone…the small dark haired girl. Anger and jealousy came off her in waves. I could hear her petty vindictive thoughts toward the small brunette girl I'd met the previous day…Mai I think her name was. They were hitting me like physical slaps. I gasped and fell to my knee as my hands flew to my head in a futile attempt to block the tidal wave of thoughts and emotions now feeding through me. Mai's attraction to Noll and her ire at being yelled at for being late and all the insults she was calling him in her head. The long red haired woman calling Monk every name under the sun in her head for being an idiot earlier. It all came crashing in on me causing me to whimper in pain as I clutched my hair.

"Eos? Eos!" I could hear Noll calling me but it was like he was muffled, like speaking through a wall where you can only hear half the words. The foreign voices and emotions in my head were drowning him out.

Naru's P.O.V

As I was berating Mai for once again failing to turn up on time, honestly that girl has no sense what so ever, I heard panicked cries behind me. Turning I saw an agonised expression cross Eos's face before she fell to one knee and clutched at her head. The others crowded around her, asking if she was okay, not knowing that their close proximity to her would only make her worse. I moved to her side quickly, pushing someone aside so I could kneel beside her and call her name. She didn't respond, it was as if she couldn't hear me which knowing what this particular power could do to her meant she probably couldn't hear me.

I reached out and pried her hands away from her head and tilted my head to see her face, I was met with wide eyes filled with turmoil of pain and pent up emotion.

"Eos, listen to my voice. Concentrate just on my voice, block out everything else, all the emotions and thoughts you hear just block them all out except for me. Can you do that?" I said quietly, willing her to hear me. I released her hands and cupped her face so she was looking straight into my eyes.

_Listen to my thoughts. Concentrate on me and my emotions. Ignore everything and everyone else._

Slowly the panic in her eyes began to subside and she seemed to calm down. I felt a tendril of something touch my mind; it was a whisper of a touch, a shimmering cacophony of colour and thought that I knew to be Eos.

_Thank you Noll,_ she whispered in my head and I bit back a smile as she sent a little of the gratitude she felt along the link before severing it. Releasing her face I took her hand once more and help her to her feet, she smiled at me and squeezed my hand before releasing it.

"What the hell just happened?" Yasuhara exclaimed shooting looks between me and Eos, the rest of them seemed to agree with his sentiments judging by their expressions.

_Brilliant, yet more time is going to be wasted while I answer their inane questions,_ I thought to myself. Eos's face darkened as she stepped forward and levelled a cold look at Miss Hara who looked at her in shock at the anger clear on the blonde's face.

"Little miss stick-up-her-ass over there was giving off so many negative emotions she over whelmed my barriers and I ended feeling and hearing all of you. It's not pleasant and it's not easy to cope with so I would appreciate it if you would keep the jealousy and bitchy thoughts to a minimum Miss Hara." Eos said in a falsely sweet voice. Miss Hara's eyes widened, shocked at the vulgar language emanating from my…from Eos, I mentally corrected and the others began snickering at her.

"I don't know what you me…"

"Don't try that with me, I'm an Empath. When I'm in close proximity to such strong negative emotions like what you were giving off just now and I don't expect them my normally exceptional defences fail me and I end getting the full show. As in I can hear every vile thought that pops into that pretty little head and feel every unwarranted bit of nasty feelings you have toward that poor girl. So if I were you I would keep the hell away from me during this case because if I have to put up with your puerile and quite frankly vindictive thoughts once more I will end up punching you so hard not even the best make-up artist in the business will be able to make your face television worthy again." Eos snarled at the short Medium who recoiled away from the normally quite even tempered girl's tirade against her.

"Er…does that mean you're telepathic as well? If you heard her thoughts I mean?" John piped up, trying to break the tension and bring us back to a friendly atmosphere as usual. I mentally thanked the blonde priest for negating what could have escalated into all-out war if Eos's past record was anything to go by, I still had scars from arguments with her that had gone to far.

"Yeah, I am. I can also do something similar to astral projection and considered to be one of the most accurate clairvoyants in the world." She replied with a smile, instantly switching back to the kind and often infuriating Eos I knew.

Crossing my arms over my chest I cleared my throat to get her attention.

"Don't be modest Eos, it doesn't suit you. You know fine well that the precision of your precognition and postcognition is utterly unparalleled. However, you can explain further and introduce yourself properly later. Right now we need to get going." I stated calmly knowing that I would inevitably be peppered with questions about her the second she got on that damned bike of hers. That thing was a menace, the amount of times she had come in with some new injury from being attacked by a ghost while on it was beyond even my reckoning.

"Of course Noll, I look forward to being properly introduced to you all soon." I was unnerved at her being unusually cooperative. She walked up to me and I found out why as she pressed her lips against mine for a soft, lingering kiss. Nipping my bottom lip she pulled back and grinned as I growled in annoyance and frustration at her before she sashayed over to her bike, put on her helmet, kick started her bike and roared off.

"Okay, now I have to know. Who _is_ she?" Ayako exclaimed. Rubbing the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb I groaned internally at what that damnable girl had gotten me into this time.

"She is, as she said, an old acquaintance of mine and Gene's from back in England. She is also working on this case. Now if we could…"

"You do not kiss acquaintances like that! C'mon, tell us who she is!" Monk teased bumping shoulders with me. Opening my eyes I levelled a glare at the man making it clear the subject was no longer up for discussion.

"Mai, put your things in the van and lets me gone. We are already late." I snapped.

The girl grumped, muttering insults directed at me under her breath as she followed my orders and we finally were prepared to leave. Climbing into the van I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread at the prospect of having Eos on the case with us. _This can only end badly for me,_ I thought to myself as Lin got into the driver's seat and we pulled out and began our long journey.


	3. Chapter 3

Eos's P.O.V

I had arrived at the hotel long before the SPR crew had appeared, bringing my bike over from home had it's advantages as I could easily swerve in and out of traffic and avoid any unnecessary delays. I had already unpacked the few things I had taken with me on my 'business trip' to Tokyo to enlist Noll's help and put them in the room I had been allocated by the owner, pervert that he was. I was now stood out in the cool afternoon air having a cigarette, I had been trying to kick the habit for a while but there was something about the thought of spending an unspecified amount of time with Noll that made me all anxious and smoking calmed me down. Not nearly as much as alcohol did but I already had a problem with that, I wasn't about to exacerbate it by using it to soothe some frazzled nerves. Inhaling the sweet nicotine I closed my eyes and tilted my face toward the slowly darkening sky as I heard wheels over the gravel drive way of the hotel, I smirked quietly to myself knowing full well who it was and the lecture I would receive when he saw me. I heard doors opening and feet then:

"What the hell are you doing?" came Noll's voice across the quiet of my solitude. Opening my eyes I looked at him as he stormed across to me, anger clear on his face.

"I would have thought that would have been self-evident. I'm smoking. Did your IQ take a dip when you transferred time zones or are you just enjoying playing the village idiot?" I replied smirking at his enraged expression. Baiting and teasing him was one of my favourite pass times and it was so rewarding to see him get all riled up in response to my barbs.

"I think that's a bit rich coming from the one who was idiotic enough to take up _smoking_," he sneered, disdain clear in his voice, "I mean really Eos, what happened while I've been away? Did you suddenly lose all ability to think like a rational intelligent human being?"

"Well if you hadn't fucked off to the other side of the planet for two years without a word or bothered to speak to me when you came home for Gene's funeral you would actually _know_ what had been happening in my life while you were gone. But since I apparently don't matter enough for you to have bothered I don't think you can really lecture me about anything I may have done during that period of time." I snapped, his comment had reminded me how pissed off I was at him for leaving without so much as a word and leaving it that way for two years. Luckily I was good friends with Madoka and Luella so I kept up-to-date on almost everything he did but I wasn't about to admit that to _him_.

He had the good graces to look ashamed of himself before hiding it behind his usual mask of indifference.

"I'm quitting anyway, so what the hell does it matter." I muttered dropping the cigarette on the gravel and stubbing it out under my boot in my attempt at a peace offering before turning and walking back into the hotel. I could hear him ordering Lin and that poor Mai girl around outside as Mr Hokkaido my, '_our_ 'I mentally corrected, client walked out past me leering as he went. I rolled my eyes and kept walking, not in the mood to put up with his perversions today.

I didn't seem the SPR team till dinner that night; Hokkaido was treating us like honoured guests, we had a full ride in the dining room, everything for free. I had changed into ripped black skinny jeans and a long sleeved white crop top of thin, artfully worn almost gauzy material. My hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail as it had started to piss me off, I was half tempted to get the blasted stuff cut off but something always stopped me. Noll, Lin and the others came in just as I started pouring myself a glass of red wine from the bottle I had ordered to the table shortly before their arrival.

They took their seats around the table I was already occupying and a familiar banter started up between Monk, the little Mai girl and the rest of their team baring the black haired bitch from earlier; it was sweet, they were like a proper little family having dinner together, something that was entirely alien to me. Suddenly one of the younger men leaned forward across the table as the waiters came around to take our orders and fixed me with his mischievous brown eyes.

"I don't think we were all properly introduced earlier, I'm Osamu Yasuhara: researcher extraordinaire." The dark haired glasses boy said, grinning across the table at me.

"Pleasure to meet you, Yasuhara. I'm Eos Ridley but you can just call me Eos, everyone does." I replied returning his grin. The blonde boy next to him smiled and waved at me before introducing himself as a priest from Australia named John Brown.

"Wow, I'll bet there were a few broken hearted girls left behind when you decided to become a priest, eh?" I teased causing him to blush and the others to laugh good naturedly.

The red headed woman who was sat between Monk and Mai leaned forward and introduced herself as a Miko named Ayako.

"It's nice to meet you all; I'm really looking forward to working with you guys. It gets kinda depressing working solo all the time though my assistant Toby does pop up every now and again just to remind me why I work alone most of the time." I told them as I took a sip of the rich wine in front of me.

"You work alone?" Yasuhara enquired.

"Yeah, because of touring and getting bullied into doing guest lecture slots at the University I need to have a really malleable schedule. If I had a team depending on me I wouldn't be able to keep switching around the way I do."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned something about a band to Bou-san. What's all that about?" Mai asked her little cinnamon eyes wide in curiosity.

"I'm the lead singer in Blue Skies Lie, it's my main passion. I mean I love being a professor and teaching and stuff but as an Empath nothing beats standing on a stage in front of hundreds of adoring fans screaming your name. I can tell you, there isn't a feeling in the world better than that."

"She's right, performing is such a rush. It's amazing." Monk agreed, nodding his head sagely with a smile plastered on his face.

"You knew Kazuya growing up didn't you?" John enquired, his cute little face turned to me and I couldn't help but smile at him despite feeling the aforementioned _Kazuya_ as he had started calling himself over here turn to level a glare at the two of us.

"Yeah, we and Noll go way back." I replied with a giggle.

"C'mon, give us some dirt on him! Tell us what he was like when he was younger." Yasuhara enthused with Mai and the others.

"Hmmm…how about I tell you the story of how we became friends?" They readily agreed as the servers brought out the evenings meal. As we began to eat I began my story.

_Flashback_

_Two identical raven haired and blue eyed boys walked through a large expanse of blossom laden trees, it was a gloriously sunny spring day, rare for Britain, and they seemed to be enjoying walking in the grounds of their home. The two boys were deep in discussion as they emerged onto a path leading to a clearing harbouring a fountain that was sending a shimmering veil of water into the air before cascading down into the pool below. They stopped short as the noticed a petit, almost pixie like girl with a cascade of messy pale blonde hair in a lavender sundress twirling and dancing bare foot along the edge of the fountain, a light breeze caught in the trees sending flurries of pale pink and ivory blossoms to dance and swirl around the girl; catching sight of them she squealed and slipped, falling backward into the water. The boys ran over to see if the young girl was alright, concerned in case she had hurt herself in some way. _

_"Are you okay Lady Ridley?" one of the twins exclaimed, peering down at the girl who was now sat in the blossom laden water, her dress splayed out around her and the scent of spring heavy in the air. Her violet eyes sparkled as she gave them a beautiful smile, surprising the boys who did not notice the impish edge to it. _

_"I will be once one of you idiots helps me out of here." She said. The boy that had spoken laughed and offered her his hand, taking the proffered help she pulled and in his surprise the boy lost his footing and fell into the water beside her. The remaining dry child, who had previously been standing with a stoic expression on his handsome face now cracked a smile and laughed at his twins shocked expression. The boy in the fountain exchanged a look with the girl beside him and with matching mischievous grins they quickly lunged at the boy and yanked him into the water with them before descending into fits of hysterical laughter. The boy silenced the other two by splashing them with water which began a water fight of epic proportions with the three of them kicking and splashing water at each other as the ran in and out of the stream of the fountains spray, laughing and smiling the entire time._

_End of Flashback_

The table erupted in laughter, even the normally stoic Lin smiling at the anecdote of his charges past.

"I don't think I've ever seen Luella so shocked as when she and Martin came looking for the boys and found us soaked to the skin running around the fountain." I said with a grin.

"I can't picture Naru ever doing something like that; he's just too…_Naru." _Mai exclaimed with a giggle, I joined her nodding in agreement. I liked her already but she reminded me of someone and I couldn't put my finger on whom.

"Hah! That's nothing; you should've seen him and Gene wrestle. Genuinely the funniest thing I have ever seen, literally nothing beats rolling out of bed with a hangover to see your boyfriend sat on your best friends back putting him in a head lock _especially _when they're twins. Cures it right up!" I replied before stopping short and silently cursing myself as they picked up on the titles I had used for the twins.

"I KNEW it! You and Naru are a couple!" Yasuhara yelled in triumph jumping up from the table and levelling a finger in glee at me, earning him a dirty look from that bitchy little medium.

"_Were_ a couple." Noll snapped, speaking for the first time since dinner had begun. I turned and levelled a look that by all rights should have killed him before standing up abruptly, startling my dinner companions.

"Actually, considering you didn't _actually_ break up with me, you just left the country without a word for _two years_ we're still a couple. You see, to use the past tense when speaking about a relationship you actually need to have the balls to end it first." I snarled in response before storming out of the dining hall in a fit of anger. I could feel my powers flaring, snapping and crackling in my fit of rage, but I didn't care. That boy could push me to a level of pissed off most people couldn't even comprehend and he damn well knew it, the bastard.

I managed to make it to the entrance hall before I succeeded in controlling myself enough to hear the voice calling my name and the hurried footsteps behind me. Turning I saw Noll striding toward me, his face unusually expressive as he closed the gap between us.

"Mai I expect this from but not you, you've been doing this just as long as I have. You should know better than to wander off on a case where women are being specifically targeted without someone to protect you." He snapped, his midnight blue eyes snapping but his tone while brusque was still worried, something I cherished and that gave me hope.

"I'm more than capable of taking care of myself Noll; I have done for the past two years. Why should you coming back into my life be any different?"

His eyes softened slightly at my harsh words, he looked almost…sad, if that were even possible for him.

"Eos, I…I'm sorry. I should never have left the way I did." He murmured reaching out to take my hand. I looked at the ground, unsure as to what to do or say.

"Did you miss me? Think of me? Even wonder how I was or what you leaving me would do to me?" I asked softly. He suddenly yanked me forward into a hug, surprising me a little since he wasn't one for unnecessary physical contact. I felt him press his lips into my hair even as I nuzzled into his neck and inhaled the familiar smell that always made me feel safe.

"I thought of you every day Eos. I never thought of what it might do to you because I didn't think, and then it was too late. I was always busy, always working…"

"Not much change there." I interjected. He chuckled as he stroked my back and held me close.

"I did miss you Eos, how could I not?" he whispered to me and I melted. That's when I felt it. The cold hand in my hair. I was yanked backwards, a startled cry torn from lips, and thrown across the room and into the wall where I lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Naru's P.O.V

I watched in horror as Eos was flung across the room, crashing into the opposite wall with a sickening thud. The entrance hall was suddenly icy, the temperature plummeting in seconds as a dark shadow loomed over her prone body; a sickening, gurgling laugh echoed around the room, magnified by the height of the ceiling so it kept rebounding back to me till it was all I could hear. The shadow leaned over her, a curling strand of what I presumed to be it's arm reached out toward her and gripped her pale gold hair yanking her up the wall till she appeared to be standing. I watched as it's other hand reached out to caress her cheek before striking her violently across the face and shoving her up against the wall once more. I saw red. I knew I shouldn't, I knew what would happen to me if I did but I couldn't watch as whatever this thing was attacked Eos, MY Eos. Taking a deep breath I gathered my PK and let it loose in a vicious strike against the thing that was holding her. It released her with a strangled cry before turning to glare at me, red pits of fire burning where it's eyes should have been before fading out of existence once more. My body felt weak, barely able to hold me upright but I was a man possessed, I had to see her, to _know_ if she was…no, I couldn't even think it. I rushed to her side, my shoes clicking on the stone floor before I fell to my knees and lifted her bruised body into my arms. Brushing her bangs from her face, I gently ran a hand over her cheek where an ugly bruise was already beginning to form from where the thing had struck her; I continued my inspection, running my hand across the back of her head, down her arms and legs to assure myself nothing seemed to be broken. I could hear laughter; the others must have been emerging from dinner. Clutching her slender body closer to me, desperate to prove to myself she was still here, still alive. That I hadn't lost her like I had lost Gene.

"NOLL!" I heard Lin yell followed by gasps and shouts from the rest of the team, I paid no heed to him until I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face the group of people that had rushed to our sides.

"Noll, what happened?" Lin demanded, his normally stoic demeanour slipping as he stared down at the two of us.

"She was attacked by the spirit. She needs medical attention." I replied, forcing my voice into a monotone so as not to betray the panic I could feel bubbling inside me. Matsuzaki barged past the others, her red hair billowing out behind her and came to crouch beside us.

"Naru, I can't examine her unless you let her go." She demanded calmly. Reluctantly I relinquished my hold on her and the Miko slid her body onto the floor, as she did so the sleeve of Eos's shirt hitched slightly and I caught a glimpse of some markings. Holding up a hand to halt the Miko's examination I reached over and slid up the thin white fabric to reveal scar tissue in elaborate pattern across her porcelain skin intricately woven with black tattoos and cursive script. The markings extended from her wrist to her elbow and seemed to continue up past the rolled up fabric of her sleeve in a beautiful and horrifying design that appeared to have some meaning behind it known only to the unconscious girl before me. I looked up into the wide eyes of the priestess who gazed in horrified fascination at the markings on Eos's flesh; I nodded to indicate she could continue examining her and stood up.

"When Matsuzaki is finished examining Eos I want her to drive Yasuhara to the local Library and research the history of this place. Takigawa, take Mai and do temperature readings throughout the hotel. John I would like you and Miss Hara to do a walkthrough to see if she can sense anything." I ordered, carefully keeping my voice and face as stoic as possible.

They nodded or otherwise vocalized their assent and spread out to follow my commands.

"She doesn't seem to be hurt in anyway but I will have to check her for a concussion when she wakes up." The Miko said, straightening into a standing position. I nodded my thanks and bent down to pick her slender frame up from the floor, determined to carry her to base myself but stopped when I felt Lin's hand on my shoulder.

"Let me." He said quietly. He clearly knew I had used my PK but was choosing to ignore it for the moment, knowing full well that he would have done the same for her if he had been in my position. Eos, like Mai, had a way of working her way into your heart and once there would be there forever.


End file.
